A Biochemical Genetic Study of Wisconsin Lake Herring (Coregonus artedii)
File(s)
Date
1982-03Author
Cleveland, Laverne
Publisher
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, College of Natural Resources
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Genetic and phenotypic variation among Wisconsin populations
of lake herring (Coregonus artedii) found in Sunset
Lake, Pallette Lake, Green Lake, and Lac Courte Oreilles
were assessed by vertical starch gel electrophoresis and
comparison of meristic traits. Each lake had natural lake
herring populations except Sunset Lake in which the population
was established by transplant from Pallette Lake in 1961.
Electrophoretic analysis of the enzymes lactate and
malate dehydrogenase indicated that gene expression for the
enzymes was monomorphic and uniform among the populations.
Glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase was monomorphic and
uniform in the Sunset and Pallette Lake populations, but
polymorphic in Green Lake and Lac Courte Oreilles.
Comparison of fork length/pectoral fin length, fork
length/ventral to anal fin distance, fork length/pectoral
fin to ventral fin distance, fork length/dorsal fin to
adipose fin distance, fork length/internaral width, and
fork length/head length in Pallette and Sunset Lakes indicated
that a large amount of variation existed between
the populations. All of the ratios had significantly different
means except fork length/pectoral fin length and fork
length/dorsal fin to adipose fin distance.
To estimate the relative influence of genetic and
environmental factors on trait variation in Pallette Lake
it was assumed that, due to inbreeding, the genetic variance
in the Sunset Lake population was essentially zero. Under
this assumption variance partitioning indicated that heredity
was responsible for trait variation in Pallette Lake.
The relation between lake herring growth and an index of
lake productivity indicated that the environment influences
growth rates.